Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Chivas USA | MLS Match Preview

Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Chivas USA meet for the second time this season when the Western Conference foes face off at BC Place on Wednesday evening. Chivas USA have not won since the teams first met this year, a 2-1 triumph for the Rojiblancos on March 30 in Carson. It’s now 11 games without a victory for Chivas, after a 2-0 loss to Seattle at home in their last league match. Whitecaps FC returned home last weekend for a wild match, hanging on to defeat the New England Revolution 4-3.

Chivas USA took the lead in the 12th minute when Carlos Álvarez’s crossing pass from just outside the box deflected off Jun Marques Davidson’s shoulder and past goalkeeper Joe Cannon, who was unable to react in time to keep out the own goal.

The home side doubled their lead 10 minutes after the break. Jorge Villafana flighted in a cross from the left flank and Eric Avila met it with a thumping full volley with his right foot that curled back inside the far post.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC returned home and rebounded with a victory, storming past the New England Revolution for a 4-3 win Saturday evening at BC Place. Whitecaps FC sit in seventh place in the Western Conference with 19 points from 14 matches.

The Revolution were up by two goals by the 20th minute. Juan Agudelo latched onto a long ball from defender Chris Tierney before finishing in the 10th minute, then Kelyn Rowe finished off a nice passing movement in the area 10 minutes later.

But the match turned in the 23rd minute. Running onto a ball over the top, Revolution fullback Andrew Farrell clipped Kenny Miller in the box and was sent off by Juan Guzman, and Camilo promptly converted the ensuing penalty kick.

Whitecaps FC then pulled level in the 39th minute when Miller chipped over Stephen McCarthy’s head and ran through alone to score a left-footed effort into the bottom right corner. Jordan Harvey fired the Whitecaps into the lead four minutes later, getting on the end of a cross from Russell Teibert.

Miller hit for his second of the night in the 68th minute, firing into the top right corner on the half volley after receiving a ball from Camilo to make it 4-2 for Vancouver.

The Revs closed the gap in the 84th minute, after Dimitry Imbongo ran at Whitecaps defender Carlyle Mitchell and skipped past him before blasting into the left side of the goal. Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Brad Knighton made a fingertip save on a free kick from midfielder Lee Nguyen in the 95th minute to preserve the win.

Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie made two changes to the team that lost 3-2 to Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field. Carlyle Mitchell came into the back four for Andy O'Brien, and Daigo Kobayashi came into the midfield for Jun Marques Davidson.

While Whitecaps FC have hit for 10 goals over the last four matches, capped by the season-high four goals in the New England game, then have allowed nine goals in the same time, conceding three goals now in back-to-back games.

“It can’t be good for my health, watching these games … right now we just seem to be doing things the hard way,” said Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie.“But right now we are winning, we’re moving forward and hopefully we’ll get to the point where things are done a little more easily.”

Said Kenny Miller: “It was hard work and we made it tougher than it probably should have been toward the end. But we’ve got to take the positives. It’s three points, it’s four goals at home.”

Camilo Sanvezzo scored his fourth goal in the last four games to start the Whitecaps FC comeback. Camilo scored three consecutive goals – the two goals vs. Seattle and the first against New England.

“The first 20 minutes, we probably never got started the way we would have liked,” Miller said. “But obviously with the penalty and the sending off it gives you that boost to go on and get goals.”

Miller scored a pair of goals in a game for the first time since coming to MLS in the New England match. Miller has hit for three goals in his last three games, since returning to the lineup following a seven-match absence in league play.

“His overall performance was really top class. It made a big difference to our team tonight,” said Rennie. “And like I say, not just the goals but his desire and hunger and work rate when we were losing, when we weren’t doing well, that started to rub off on other people.”

With Andy O’Brien out through suspension, Carlyle Mitchell was recalled from his loan to FC Edmonton and made his season debut for Whitecaps FC, playing the full match in central defense.

“If we keep scoring goals at the rate we’re scoring goals we’re going to move up the table nice and fast, and look good doing it,” said goalkeeper Brad Knighton. “We just have to shore things up defensively and that comes down to me being a leader and organizing the backline and making the saves I need to make to keep us in the game.”

CHIVAS USA

Chivas USA return to action in league play after having their losing slide stretched to five games, falling 2-0 to Seattle Sounders FC on June 1 at The Home Depot Center. Chivas USA sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with 11 points from 13 matches.

Sounders FC took the lead in the 22nd minute. Lamar Neagle's ball in behind the Chivas defense freed Obafemi Martins all alone on goal, and he scored with a nifty, left-footed chip over Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy from inside the area.

Sounders FC saw their lead doubled 11 minutes later when Mauro Rosales floated in a cross from the right corner, and Chivas defender Mario de Luna headed it directly into his own goal completely uncontested.

Seattle finished the game a man down after Martins was sent off in the 70th minute by referee Ricardo Salazar for a foul on Gabriel Farfan.

Chivas interim head coach Sacha van der Most made three changes to the that suffered a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Joaquin Velazquez, Walter Vilchez and Oswaldo Minda came into the side, in place of Carlos Borja, Josue Soto and Edgar Mejia.

Chivas USA have not won in league play since the first meeting with Whitecaps FC, now eight league games without a victory. The current losing streak is the longest since a club-record seven-game losing run at the end of last season.

In his lone game in charge, Sacha van der Most installed a 4-3-3 scheme, after previous head coach Jose Luis Sánchez Sola preferred three defenders much of the time.

“We went from a 3-5-2 the team used to play to a 4-3-3 and defensively a 4-5-1 in just two days. The team and the players wanted to play the system but we didn’t have enough effort in the midfield,” said van der Most.

Now with José Luis Real in charge beginning with the Whitecaps FC, there could be a further change in tactics.

“We haven’t gotten into too much detail yet, but every coach brings his own concepts. It’s just a matter of us applying them and learning them as fast as we can.” said midfielder Gabriel Farfan. Said Francisco Palencia, Chivas director of soccer: “Our players have pretty good skills. We have very, very good players. We trust them. I’m sure we’re going to start working again with a different coach, different tactics and different way to practice. The talent is there. I’m sure in some weeks we’re going to turn it around with good results.”

Following the league loss to Seattle, Chivas USA were also dumped out of the U.S. Open Cup following a 3-1 loss to the NASL Carolina RailHawks on the road. Walter Vilchez scored the lone Chivas goal.

In the days leading up to the Vancouver match, Chivas USA welcomed their sister club from the Mexican first division, Chivas de Guadalajara, for a 10-day training session that concluded with a training match, won 1-0 by the Mexican side on a 73rd-minute goal from Erick Torres.

The friendly could be the final game with Chivas USA for Eric Avila, who along with attacking midfielder Giovani Casillas, are expected to join the Mexican club, said Chivas sporting president Dennis te Kloese.

“I’m very excited,” Avila said. “Guadalajara is a big team and just for me to practice with them is unbelievable. Luckily, they’ve given me a chance. I love my team here at Chivas USA, they’ve been a family to me. But luckily this opportunity came up, so we talked about it and decided to go forward with it. I’ll train with them [in Mexico] and see what happens.”